MudPit Confessions
by Emily Hoyt
Summary: "I think she said something about walking…"       "Walking? The rain's torrential!" Rick barked out. He looked at the lift and groaned. "Beckett…"


The lightening flashed outside the precinct as Kate stared at the picture on her computer screen. The headline: New Muse. Her eyes blurred as she stared at the image of her and Rick together at the charity event, her in the long red dress and him in his classic tuxedo, From it, she followed the large arrow that led to another picture, this one of Rick dressed smartly sitting next to a twenty-something slender blond wearing the ultimate in strappy dresses, her back to the camera. The summertime shower beat against the windows, the clouds making the five-in-the-afternoon sky look more like it was ten in the evening.

Unable to look at the photo anymore, she shut down her system, threw goodbyes over her shoulder to Javier and Kevin and ducked to the elevators. As the doors dinged their arrival, Rick spotted her and hustled towards her, but she was faster. She punched the floor she wanted, held the DOOR CLOSED button and they slid closed in Rick's confused face.

"What's up with Beckett?" Rick asked as he re-entered the office. Javier typed on as Kevin looked up and shrugged.

"So, Castle!" Javier laughed, sitting back. "You need help packing?"

"Packing?"

"Yeah…" He turned the screen and Rick groaned at the sight of a picture of him and a mystery blond glaring back at him. He stared at Javier. "So, new muse?"

"There is no new muse… That's Rina, my daughter's ex-babysitter."

"Say what?"

"Katrina used to baby-sit Alexis. She got invited to a club opening and asked me to go with her for publicity."

"Alright." Kevin said with a shrug. "That's so realistic and understated – which coming from you is odd in itself –that I believe it."

"Me, too," Javier chimed in.

"Okay, first off, thank you for believing me. Second, the dig was uncalled for," he pointed out defensively before grinning. "So, where's Beckett gone?"

"Already told you, man… don't know," Javier repeated while Kevin's eyes narrowed.

"I think she said something about walking…"

"Walking? The rain's torrential!" Rick barked out. He looked at the lift and groaned. "Beckett…"

Kate was nearly three blocks away by the time Rick spotted her from his car. He drove along the sidewalk she was walking on and honked his horn repeatedly in an attempt to get her attention. She looked over her shoulder to see who it was, but upon the sight of him, returned her gaze to the sidewalk in front of her and continued to trod along. He pulled closer to the curb since there were no parked vehicles and rolled down his window.

"Beckett, get in!" he said quickly, leaning towards the open window while fighting to maintain a straight trajectory. She ignored him. "Beckett, it's pouring rain. Get in the car now!" She shook her head and continued to walk. Rick growled and put the window back up before jerking the car towards the curb and pulling roughly into a parking spot.

He pulled the keys from his ignition and flung open the door and she froze in place on the sidewalk, still not believing he would get out of the vehicle until she saw him less than a foot away from her face.

"What the hell are you doing?" he shouted and she closed in upon herself, trying to be as small as possible. He had been standing in the rain for all of thirty seconds and his white shirt and suit were already soaked through. She swallowed hard and kept her eyes downcast, but he reached out and took her by the shoulders. "Hey!" She yanked herself free and stepped back.

"I needed some space… and air…"

"Tonight?" he yelled. She shivered and he took a step towards her. Her eyes swung away from his and he took one more step. When his shoes came into her line of sight, she looked back up to see his face, his expression softer and less upset than before. He sighed.

"I'm sorry," she whispered as she curled her arms around her body. Rick tilted his head to the side and reached his hand out to tuck a strand of wet hair behind her ear. At the feel of his fingertips against her cheek, her eyes snapped to hold his and the tenderness she saw shining in them brought tears to her eyes.

"What's wrong?" he asked so softly, she could barely hear him. The tendrils tucked behind her ear, she gulped when he let his hand cupped her cheek. "What's the matter, Kate?" he whispered and, for the briefest moment, she was sure she saw love shinning in his eyes.

Disbelief flooded her and she thought she might be losing her mind. Her fear got the better of her and she pulled herself away, running as quickly as possible, Rick instantly behind her.

Kate tried to outrun him, but Rick was in better shape than she had thought. As they ran by an empty lot, Rick's ears twitched. Although the fence blocked his view, he heard the vehicles drawing nearer and Kate wasn't slowing down.

Adrenaline surged through him and he gave a burst, sprinting just in time to wrap his arms around her waist and pull her back. She struggled against him, trying to break free, but with a solid yank backwards, they fell with a splat into a large pit that the rain had turned muddy.

Both of them lay motionless on the ground, their chests heaving with each pull of air, desperate for oxygen. The mud was thick and had cushioned their fall, but had ruined their clothes. Kate remained quiet as Rick gulped for air. He turned to her.

"Are you okay?" he asked breathlessly, turning his head to catch her gaze for a nanosecond before she turned away from him.

"Leave me alone…"

Rage burned in his veins and, in a flurry of movement motivated by anger, he flipped onto her and pinned her in place. She stared up at him in surprise and it incensed him further. She struggled and, despite the mud, he maintained his grip. His anger flared.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" he fumed, the rain pummeling him further. He seethed silently as he waited for a reply. "Well?"

"Nothing… leave me alone," she snarled and tried to shake him off, but his strength was impressive and he had her at a disadvantage, unable to get any traction in the mud to turn them over with his sheer size holding her in place.

"Kate, what is wrong with you? Something's up. What the hell's the problem?"

"Nothing! Just… just go away," she mumbled and turned her face from his.

"Where do you suggest I go?" he asked harshly and her gaze snapped back to his, her eyes ablaze.

"I don't care! Your daughter! Your apartment! Your new muse!"

With the exception of a clap of thunder, silence fell between them. Her mouth snapped shut as the words left her and she turned away from him again. He stared at her.

"All this over a stupid tabloid article?" he asked, shell-shocked. She kept her face turned away. "Kate…" he said softly, but she continued to ignore him. "Kate?" No answer. "Kate," he said more angrily. "Kate!" he bellowed. Her eyes flicked towards his face for less than a moment and she felt a tingle of fear creep up her spine. She had never seen him so mad. "Damn it, Kate! There is no new muse! I don't want one and I don't need one! I have you!" he yelled. She swallowed hard and took a quick peek at him from the corner of her eye before scoffing.

"Sure… for how long?"

"For as long as you'll have me, Kate! Damn it, I love you!"

Kate's chest heaved with a huge breath as the wind was knocked out of her. She tried to process the words, but the lack of oxygen meant slower blood flow and her brain was suffering the consequences. Eventually, she swung her gaze back to his, her eyes wide with surprise when his words finally began to sink in. Her eyes tears and her lip quivered.

"Did… did you just say…"

"I said I love you…" he repeated, loosening his grip on her wrists as she relaxed. She let her eyes slip closed and took a deep breath. "Kate, I… I didn't mean to just blurt it out," he told her gently and her eyes popped open.

"Do you regret telling me?" she asked suddenly, stunning Rick. He stammered a moment before sighing and closing his eyes for a moment. "Rick?" she whispered and the fact that she had used his given name was enough to make him continue.

"Like this? Yes…" he said softly and she waited, knowing that he was not finished by the way that he had chosen to phrase his reply. "But, no, I don't regret telling you."

"Good," she said instantly. Rick gazed down at her. "I don't regret hearing it…"

Rick didn't know what to do, but as a smile spread across Kate's lips, his mouth was drawn magnetically to hers. He came closer and closer and, when his lips finally pressed to hers, they both moaned into each other's mouth. Shifting his weight off of her, he landed with a squish beside her. He released her wrists and cupped her cheeks as he felt her arms curl around his neck.

Rick cradled her head, his fingers threading through her mud-soaked hair, but neither cared. Kate's hands toyed with the short tendrils at the nape of his neck, eventually sliding down to flatten her palms against his chest, her skin warm through his damp shirt. He lifted himself from her, removing his lips and ending their kiss.

"What's wrong?" she asked quickly, panting in breathless anticipation tinged with a dash of nerves.

"No… nothing. I just… you weren't stopping me?" he asked, throwing a glance towards her hands on his chest.

Kate felt a grin on her lips. Letting her hands slide in, she curled them into his lapels and smiled before pulling him back into an embrace. She tried to closed the distance, but he teased her for a moment before closing his lips over hers ever-so-tenderly.

Kate whimpered softly into Rick's mouth as his hands roamed. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he smiled as he flipped them over, holding Kate on top of him and loving her laugh of surprise. She giggled excitedly and stretched over him, resting her chin on his chest. He curled an arm beneath his head to tilt it up, but his grin faded when his hand landed with a squished into the mud beneath him. She began to chuckle.

"Oh, you think that's funny?" he laughed and slid her onto her side, trying to spread the mud, but his hand found a corner of skin near the hem of her shirt, making them both still. Kate's eyes slipped closed at the feel of his hands on her skin. He watched her face as he massaged the skin at her hip with his thumb. She pulled her lower lip between her teeth and whimpered. He responded in hind and her eyes opened.

"Are you trying to kill me?" he asked her in a raspy growl. She grinned, still biting her lip, so Rick spun Kate until she was laying over him. She felt the proof of his excitement and felt the air rush out of her lungs in a breath. Rick reached up and curled his hand behind her neck, pulling her into him.

"Rick?" she whispered when he stopped a breath away from her lips, so close she could feel his warmth breath against them.

"Kate… what are we doing?" he asked, surprising her.

"Ah… I… I don't know anymore. I thought we were kissing," she replied smartly. He gave her a pointed stare that she sighed at. "We're teasing each other, Rick… and getting ourselves worked up to what could be an amazing night together."

Rick nodded solemnly. "An amazing night of what?"

"Of making love! What else?" she cried out, bewilderment increasing the tone of her voice. He grinned and ran the back of his fingers across her cheek.

"Just checking." Rick's smile returned instantaneously and he pulled her at long last into a deep, toe-curling kiss. "I love you, Kate…" he sighed, stroking the apples of cheeks with his thumbs. She cuddled into his touch and he watched her eyes tear.

"I love you, too, Rick…" she said, but her grin burst through. "I… I love you. God, it feels so good to say it out loud! I… I don't even know how it happened!"

"My irresistible charm?"

"Something like that…" she grinned, slowly turning serious. "Rick… I think I'm _in_ love with you. No! I know I am," she corrected quickly and proudly, making him smile. "I'm in love with you… and it feels fantastic!" she admitted on a sigh, pressing her hands to his cheeks and kissing him again. He replied happily.

"I'm in love with you, too," he said, before giving her one last kiss and pushing himself into a sitting position, her straddling his lap. "So, what do you say we get in out of the rain?" he asked gently, watching her smile and push herself up. She tried to take a step, but slipped and landed back in his lap, making them both laugh. Edging closer to the less slippery grass, they finally managed to hoist themselves up, the rain splashing against their bodies as they wrapped their arms around each other.

"My place is a few blocks away," she whispered.

"That sounds fantastic," he said softly, tightening his grip. "Or… we could go to my place?"

"Alexis is out tonight?" she asked in surprise, but he shook his head. "But…"

"We have rooms at separate ends of the apartment. I just want to be able to cook breakfast for both the women I love tomorrow morning," he told her simply, making tears come to her eyes. He grouped her in with his daughter; that was saying something. For a moment, worry about Alexis's reaction nagged at her, but he looked into her eyes and kissed her deeply. "C'mon, Kate… let's go home," he murmured against her ear and she suddenly knew that he was right; being with Rick and Alexis was like being home and she sighed before nuzzling in deeper and nodding against him, the rain's patter the perfect backdrop for an evening such as this. She looked up at him.

"Do you think you'll ever find a new muse?" she asked him and he looked down at her in surprise.

"Of course, I do!" he said immediately and she briefly felt her world beginning to tip until he hugged her tighter and sighed. "But, I'm pretty sure you're not ready for kids yet," he said, grinning knowingly. She smiled back up at him.

"You're right, but I think I can live with that replacement," she said, a cleverly worded promise from both of them that this was only the beginning.


End file.
